Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Quick and Dirty

I told you about the incident I had almost a month exactly ~ when I found my car (and every other on my street) missing thanks to an encounter with a tow truck.

Construction crews were doing some work on a Monday morning and the posted signs demanded that every car be moved prior to 7 am. Now, I insist to this day the sign was not posted until that morning - I made it home the night before at around 10:30 and am certain that nary a notice was hung on any area tree, utility post or stake.

The cop promised he had cruiser cam video of the signs getting posted, and that's when I politely conceded and agreed to fork over the $102.50 at the Spring Grove impound.

Flash forward to this morning.

It was a morning full of obligation - extra curricular writing assignments and daily viewing of the local morning shows. I noticed the clock was ticking and I wasn't going to make it to work respectably late on time if I had intentions of doing my hair.

There I was, enjoying my frothy shower puff and a dynamite smelling shower gel (Suave Cucumber Melon, if you must know) when I heard my antiquated door bell chime, followed by several firm poundings on the front door.

My brain immediately thought Holy God. It's the nightmare I have from time to time - someone is going to break into my apartment (or break down the door, in this instance) while I'm dripping wet and taking care of business.

Aside: does anyone else worry about that?

Anyway.

The pounding sounded urgent. I was pissed. I yelled my classic Excuse Me! at the top of my lungs and threw a dry bath sheet around my dripping, sudsy body.

Shit.

I made it half way to the door when I immediately remembered ~ I had parked my car next to a temporary "No Parking" sign the night before. My mind raced to those moments last night, when I consciously decided, Sure, I'll park right outside the apartment building for now, and will move the car later when Dewey's parking lot has thinned out.

I flung the door open and saw an officer standing there, and I immediately shouted, "I'll move it! I'm moving it right now! Please don't tow!"

He nodded and said, "Well, I had to give you a citation, but if you move it now, it won't get towed."

I didn't completely get off ~ but a $40 ticket is far better than the $102.50 towing fee.

I threw on a loose summer skirt, a bra and a shirt - I still had soap suds on my arms and legs - and moved the car to its intended parking lot, eleven hours later than planned.

2 comments:

Sigh, street construction in Oakley. I live there too and almost got towed once. It's enough to make me want to move to Romaine Court - sure, you can't walk anywhere, but at least there's a parking lot.